Autonomous cars could reshape cities as we know them

Autonomous vehicles give us an opportunity to reshape urban transportation.

Research from the National League of Cities reveals that urban areas are the proving ground for self-driving cars.

Projects are launching in cities across the globe.

Sit back, put your feet up, and let the car do the work. This is the dream of self-driving cars for many, a nightmare for others, and a curiosity for most. Whatever you may feel, this is fast becoming reality as cars with no driver roll out on roads right now.

The recent announcement that New York City will host autonomous vehicle tests by GM — joining a host of other far-reaching headlines on self-driving cars — shows we are on the precipice of the next great transformation in urban mobility.

Fewer young people are receiving driver's licenses, ride-hailing is ubiquitous in cities, and there's an increased use of public transit and bike sharing. In the near future, self-driving technology will infuse urban transportation systems from cars to transit. There is a unique opportunity to reshape urban transportation.

Our National League of Cities research on mobility and technology reinforces these broad shifts. Two years ago, we found that few cities were preparing for autonomous vehicles. This dynamic has changed and cities are now the proving ground. Our newly released report, The Future of Equity in Cities, shows that the number of cities planning for autonomous vehicles has climbed substantially. Some 38% of America's largest cities are preparing for self-driving vehicles in their long-range transportation plans.

While the Bay Area is ground zero for autonomous tech, a new interactive map from Bloomberg Philanthropies and The Aspen Institute shows that there are projects happening throughout the United States and around the globe. Fifty-three cities worldwide are testing autonomous vehicles, with 35 instituting pilot projects. In the United States these cities include: Austin, Boston, Chandler (AZ), Detroit, Edmonton (CA), Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Reno, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Jose, and Washington, D.C.

Pittsburgh is one U.S. city that has been a leader in this space. In May 2016, the city established a partnership with Uber, picking up passengers in an experimental program.

The technology is not the whole story, though. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has criticized Uber for not working with the city and community groups more, as the city has developed express goals around equity and inclusion. In September, Peduto said that he's optimistic about self-driving car companies broadly embracing more civic responsibility and wanting to provide opportunities for all Pittsburghers. This assertion of community-wide goals by city leaders is critical as these technologies permeate the urban space.

Mayors and other city leaders are in a unique position to help shape the transportation future ahead. Just north of Pittsburgh, Boston's Mayor Marty Walsh is leading on an initiative to roll out autonomous vehicles as well, working with the World Economic Forum to experiment in this space.

A partnership in the city between Lyft and self-driving technology company Nutonomy will soon allow select Lyft passengers to experience an on-demand autonomous vehicle ride — with cars on the street in the near term or early next year.

And in Chandler, Arizona, right outside of Phoenix, we are beginning to see what one of these city pilots and public-private partnerships can look like at scale. Waymo is rolling out a true on-demand driverless car program with no safety driver in the front seat in this Phoenix suburb. This is the Holy Grail in self-driving, allowing us to see how people both in the vehicles as well as in the city react to truly "driverless" riding.

The age of autonomy is here. How we approach it and what we collectively decide to do is still in flux. It is incumbent on all of us to build a vision that is people-centered.